And the Oilers have seen what it’s like to have your goaltending come up short. To that end, the Oilers might have a new goaltending target to consider on a PTO.
The 2 Mutts Podcast has published a new report on Carter Hart. The report, which was posted on X, gives an update on what Hart has been doing since the conclusion of the Hockey Canada trial.
“Speaking to a few NHL players over the last few days who have been on the ice with Carter Hart here in Edmonton this summer,” the post begins. “(They) say he looks great & he’s very focused on returning to the NHL & Hart believes he is able to help a team out.”
Carter Hart News:
Speaking to a few NHL players over the last few days who have been on the ice with Carter Hart here in Edmonton this summer do say he looks great & he’s very focused on returning to the @NHL & Hart believes he is able to help a team out.
The report also states that “at least four organizations” have said they will bring him in on a PTO if the NHL clears him. Could the Oilers be one of those teams?
Hart last played in the 2023-24 season. The 27-year-old recorded 12 wins, one shutout, a 2.80 goals against average (GAA), and a .906 save percentage (SV%) in 26 games played.
We wait to see how the rest of the offseason plays out and if the Oilers offer Hart a new opportunity.
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Rob Pelinka, Luka Doncic, and Jeanie Buss at the Slovenian national basketball team training session ahead of the FIBA EuroBasket in Katowice, Poland, on Wednesday. (Marcin Golba / Associated Press)
A raucous crowd filled the Spodek Arena in Katowice, Poland, today when the Polish national team hosted Slovenia in a first-round FIBA EuroBasket 2025 game.
But Slovenia star Luka Doncic had at least a few familiar folks rooting him on. Lakers owner Jeanie Buss, general manager Rob Pelinka and others from Los Angeles made the 6,000-mile, 12-hour flight to support the cornerstone of the Lakers' future.
“We just wanted to make a statement to Luka that we support what he does for his country," Pelinka told Dan Woike of the Athletic in Poland before the game. "That’s really important to the Lakers when we have a player that’s the face of our franchise, just to show that support for him. And it’s just great to see him with his teammates, interacting, having fun."
Turned out the game might not have been too fun for Doncic and Slovenia, which lost to Poland 105-95. Doncic led all scorers with 34 points, including 14 in the first quarter. He finished with nine assists, five steals and four rebounds.
Doncic became the first player to combine 30-plus points, five or more assists and five or more steals in a single EuroBasket game. Also, his 17 free throws were the most by any EuroBasket player since 2005, when Juan Carlos Navarro made 18 against Croatia.
Doncic, acquired in a trade with the Dallas Mavericks for center Anthony Davis on Feb. 1, signed a three-year, $165-million contract extension with the Lakers on Aug. 2. The five-time All-NBA guard has averaged 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists a game during his seven-year career.
Poland, which upset Slovenia in the EuroBasket 2022 quarterfinals, has three stars in Aleksander Balcerowski, Jordan Loyd and Mateusz Ponitka. Slovenia was missing several key players — Josh Nebo, Vlatko Čančar, Jaka Blažič and Zoran Dragić — putting pressure on Doncic to carry the team.
The tournament brings together Europe’s top national teams. Besides Doncic, NBA stars participating include Kristaps Porziņģis, Nikola Jokic and Alperen Sengun. Doncic is determined to continue representing his country in international competition.
"It's an easy choice," he told Woike. "I always want to represent my country. Always did. No matter what."
Doncic, 26, is in the best physical condition of his career. He spent the summer in Croatia working out twice a day and adhering to a gluten-free, low-sugar, high-protein diet.
"He is in great shape, really committed to working hard this summer, and to be able to watch that in person was worth flying over the ocean to come be with him,” Pelinka said.
Pelinka and Buss were joined on the trip to Poland by Kurt Rambis, Linda Rambis and director of player performance and health Leroy Sims.
It's Thursday, August 28 and the Cubs (76-57) are in San Francisco to take on the Giants (65-68). Shota Imanaga is slated to take the mound for Chicago against Logan Webb for San Francisco.
The Giants are rolling as they have won four straight games over the Cubs and Brewers as they climb back to .500. Chicago attempts to get back in the win column by avoiding a sweep in San Francisco. The Cubs haven't lost three consecutive games since July 22-24.
Let's dive into the matchup and find a sweat or two. We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch first pitch, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Follow Rotoworld Player News for the latest fantasy and betting player news and analysis all season long.
Game details & how to watch Cubs at Giants
Date: Thursday, August 28, 2025
Time: 3:45PM EST
Site: Oracle Park
City: San Francisco, CA
Network/Streaming: MARQ, NBCSBA
Never miss a second of the action and stay up-to-date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day MLB schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game with every out.
Odds for the Cubs at the Giants
The latest odds as of Thursday:
Moneyline: Cubs (+101), Giants (-121)
Spread: Giants -1.5
Total: 7.0 runs
Probable starting pitchers for Cubs at Giants
Pitching matchup for August 28, 2025: Shota Imanaga vs. Logan Webb
Rotoworld still has you covered with all the latest MLB player news for all 30 teams. Check out the feed page right here on NBC Sports for headlines, injuries and transactions where you can filter by league, team, positions and news type!
Top betting trends & insights to know ahead of Cubs at Giants
The Giants are 4-0 in the last 4 games
The Giants are 4-1 versus the Cubs this season
The Cubs are 0-2 in the last 2 games but 3-2 in the past 5
This season the Giants pitcher Logan Webb has an ERA of 3.14
The Giants have covered in 4 of their last 5 games showing a profit of 1.56 units
The Cubs have won 4 of their last 5 games against teams with losing records
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our MLB Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Expert picks & predictions for tonight’s game between the Cubs and the Giants
Rotoworld Best Bet
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Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the MLB calendar based on data points like past performance, player matchups, ballpark information and weather forecasts.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projection next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for Thursday’s game between the Cubs and the Giants:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Chicago Cubs at +1.5.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the over on the Game Total of 7.0.
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On Wednesday, Quartexx Hockey shared a reel in which Montreal Canadiens forward Alex Newhook could be seen working on his faceoff skills alongside San Jose Sharks’ Will Smith under the watchful eye of former Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron.
Bergeron, who retired at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, has a career faceoff win percentage of 57.9%. In the last three years of his career, he consistently exceeded the 6% mark and was recognized as one of the best faceoff men in the NHL. The former center, who will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2026, has a wealth of experience to share.
What does Newhook's work on his faceoffs indicate? Could it mean that he’ll be playing at center this upcoming season? Sure, it could mean that, or it could also mean that this is one aspect of his game he wants to improve, or that the team has asked him to work on it, just like it did with Zachary Bolduc when he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues.
When Kent Hughes was introduced to the press as the Canadiens’ new GM, he made a point of saying that he firmly believes that players can continually improve. That reaching the NHL doesn’t mean that you’re done learning, just that you’ve reached a certain level, adding that he made a point of ensuring his clients with Quartexx would keep on polishing their game and improving. It appears that his former business is still operating, even though Hughes is no longer involved.
When the Habs brass hired Martin St-Louis as their coach, a man who had played the game at the highest level during his 16-season career in the NHL but was a peewee coach at the time, it was clear that they were hiring a man who could teach, and that’s undoubtedly what he has done so far and continues to do. He spent a lot of time developing Cole Caufield into a more well-rounded player, not just a sniper. He helped Brendan Gallagher change his game, picking his battles and learning to pick his spots, and transformed Josh Anderson into a penalty kill specialist.
That approach not only benefits the team in the now, but it also raises the value of a payer on the open market; it’s about seeing the big picture. Hughes also stated in the same press conference that he wasn’t one to buy high and sell low; helping his players reach new levels is just another way to ensure that he doesn’t have to sell at a low price.
It’s a possibility that Newhook has been given a heads-up that he’d have to play at center, but it’s just as strong a possibility that Quartexx is helping their players improve by getting them some ice time with one of the best in the business. One way or another, this will benefit the Canadiens, as Newhook’s success rate in the faceoff department is far from satisfactory at 41.8%.
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Horvat spoke with Islanders reporter Rachel Luscher about several topics, including his opportunity to attend Hockey Canada's Orientation Camp, which is currently underway, and what he knows about newcomer Jonathan Drouin. He also shared his excitement for training camp and more.
One thing he touched on was how he was feeling after sustaining an ankle injury at the 2025 World Championships back in May.
“I feel great,” Horvat told Luscher. “I feel back to normal and ready to go for the season. I’ve been skating all summer; nothing has changed there [...] The whole experience was great. The guys were phenomenal, and we had a really good group of guys and a lot of good hockey players on that team. That was pretty fun to play with a guy like [Nathan MacKinnon]. It was a great experience.”
Horvat is the sole member of the organization to receive an invitation to the orientation as Hockey Canada prepares for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.
With Mathew Barzal sustaining two long-term injuries last season, which limited him to 30 games, the Islanders will need both to be healthy if the Islanders want to get back into the playoffs after missing this past season.
Barzal, who had a minor procedure on his knee after sustaining an injury following a blocked shot on Feb 1 in Tampa, will be ready to go for camp, as well.
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But for their most intriguing recent draft pick, it’s also the opening day of a different kind of season.
In the 17th round of last month’s MLB draft, the Dodgers took a flier on University of Missouri pitcher Sam Horn, a 6-foot-4 right-hander with a big fastball, a promising slider and an athletic, projectable build.
Like most late-round prospects hoping to become a diamond in the rough, Horn came with questions. He pitched just 15 innings in his college career after undergoing Tommy John surgery as a sophomore. His limited body of work led to a wide range of scouting opinions.
In Horn’s case, however, the biggest unknowns had nothing to do with his potential as a pitcher.
Because, starting Thursday night, he will also be under center as quarterback for Missouri’s football team.
Horn is not only a two-sport athlete, but someone still undecided on whether his future will be on a mound or the gridiron. As a quarterback, he was a four-star recruit in Missouri’s 2022 signing class. And this fall, he has been locked in a battle with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, jockeying for first-string signal-caller duties at an SEC program coming off a 10-win season.
When Missouri opens its 2025 football schedule Thursday night against Central Arkansas, Pribula will play the first half, and Horn will play the second half. As for the rest of the season, Missouri coach Eli Drinkwitz has yet to hand either player all the keys to the offense.
“I think both quarterbacks have done an excellent job of doing the things that we’ve asked them to do, and there wasn’t enough separation that I felt like there was a clear-cut starter,” Drinkwitz told reporters this week. “And so the next-best evaluation is in a live football game to see how guys respond, not only to preparation and a game plan, but also respond to a crowd, also respond to being tackled and being hit.”
It’s a QB battle that Dodgers officials have followed with fascination throughout Missouri’s fall camp.
Already, the club has signed Horn to a baseball contract with an almost $500,000 signing bonus (well above the norm for the 525th overall pick).
The question now is whether he ever ends up playing for them.
“We’re pleasantly hoping he does,” Dodgers vice president of baseball operations Billy Gasparino said this week. “We think there’s a whole window of opportunity to get him much better, and quickly.”
Once upon a time, the Dodgers viewed Horn as one of college baseball’s better pitching prospects. Even in a limited sample size as a freshman in 2023, Gasparino said the team evaluated him as having potential future first-round talent.
“He’s a tremendous athlete,” said Gasparino, the longtime point man for the Dodgers’ draft operations. “He has really good arm action. I think that part was very elite.”
By the time Horn actually became draft-eligible this summer, though, uncertainties about his future made his scouting process unique.
All along, Horn signaled to MLB teams that he wanted to play football this fall. As a redshirt junior, he will have another season of eligibility in football next year as well. Gasparino said the narrative around Horn, who is originally from Lawrenceville, Ga., is that “baseball is his first love.”
“But,” Gasparino added, “he definitely seemed split on what he wanted to do going forward.”
This is not the first recent example of the Dodgers drafting a power-conference college quarterback.
Two years ago, they used their final 20th-round selection in the 2023 draft on then-Oregon State quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, a former two-sport star at St. John Bosco. Uiagalelei, however, never signed with the team. As a highly touted five-star talent with NFL aspirations, he never made the switch to baseball either, his draft rights with the Dodgers lapsing after he transferred to Florida State for the 2024 football season.
Horn’s situation appears to be different. Unlike Uiagalelei (who never actually pitched collegiately), he spent the last three years on Missouri’s baseball team. And if he doesn’t win the starting quarterback job with the Tigers football squad this fall, his odds of reporting to the Dodgers next spring figure to be much more realistic.
That’s why, as Missouri’s QB battle has unfolded this preseason, Gasparino scoured Missouri recruiting site message boards and local news outlets, looking for any indication of which way the program was leaning.
“The coach is going to give nothing,” Gasparino said jokingly. “So you kind of have to go on the message boards, and to the local writers, to figure out, ‘All right, who is winning? What is going on?’ It’s been kind of a hard read.”
Leading up to the draft, Horn’s situation also required extra scouting legwork. The Dodgers dusted off his old freshman year and high school evaluations, after he pitched just 10 ⅔ innings in Missouri’s spring baseball season coming off his Tommy John procedure. They also reached out to NFL scouting departments and college football recruiters, “just to figure out how talented he was at football,” Gasparino said.
The Dodgers do have downside protection if Horn ultimately decides to stick with the football, with Gasparino noting that “to actually get his signing bonus, he has to come to us.”
But in the meantime, they’ll be keeping a close eye on Missouri’s football season — starting with Thursday night’s opener in which Horn is slated to see the field.
“Definitely gonna be watching,” Gasparino said. “I mean, I guess first, it’s like, don’t get hurt. But also just hoping that the right answer becomes very clear on what he should do sport-wise … Of course, we’d be disappointed if it’s not baseball. But would hate another year of in-between.”
SAN FRANCISCO — After Wednesday night’s win, Matt Chapman was asked a couple of times about 2026. Chapman said repeatedly that the focus is simply “on tomorrow.”
Right now, “tomorrow” is bringing a lot of wins for the Giants, who know what the math says but want to try and make things interesting anyway. Their 4-3 walk-off win over the Chicago Cubs on Thursday clinched a sweep and marked their fifth straight victory, bringing their record to 66-68.
The latest positive day at Oracle Park ended when Jung Hoo Lee lined a single to right with two on in the bottom of the ninth. It was the 10th walk-off win this season but the first of the second half.
The game was somewhat of a pitcher’s duel between Logan Webb and Shota Imanaga, although the ball can fly on warm day games at Oracle Park, and the two combined to give up four homers. Both pitched through the seventh and left with the game tied 3-all.
The Cubs thought they would take the lead in the top of the eighth, but Casey Schmitt made a leaping grab of a liner and doubled off the runner on second, who was easily going to score the go-ahead run. With a runner on first and one out in the top of the ninth, Lee made a sliding grab to rob Pete Crow-Armstrong of a rally-extending single.
Here are the takeaways from a thrilling Giants’ win:
Can It Actually Happen?
It has been 21 years since the last 30-homer season by a Giant, and early on, it seemed impossible for Adames to even think about it. His Giants career got off to a brutal start, but with his latest two-homer game, he put himself in position to make an actual run at ending the drought.
Adames took Imanaga deep twice, with the first one giving the Giants a lead in the first inning and the second one tying the game in the bottom of the sixth. He now has 24 homers with 28 games left.
If over the final month he simply matches his August — eight homers — or July — seven homers — he’ll get it done. Thursday’s game was his fourth this season and second in the last six days with multiple homers. He became the first Giants shortstop since Travis Jackson in 1929 to have four multi-homer games in one season.
Mr. 200
Webb is eager to reach 200 strikeouts for the first time, but he also is well on his way to another 200-inning season, and unless he’s shut down at some point, he should pretty easily win the NL innings crown for a third straight season.
Webb allowed three runs in seven innings Thursday, getting to 173 2/3 on the season. The only other players in the NL with 160-plus innings are Cy Young frontrunners Christopher Sanchez (162 1/3) and Paul Skenes (161). Webb is also four outs ahead of Garrett Crochet for the MLB lead overall.
They’re Going Streaking
Adames’ first homer gave the Giants a blast in 11 consecutive games, their longest streak since September of a magical 2021 season. They’ve hit 22 homers over the 11 games and have gotten back-to-back multi-homer games from cornerstone players (Rafael Devers did it Wednesday).
Devers had a different kind of run going early in the game, reaching on a walk and a single to start his day. Over two games, he reached base in seven consecutive plate appearances.
With a single in the fifth, Lee reached base for the 22nd time in 24 games this month. Add it all up and the Giants have a lot of reasons to be more optimistic about the lineup’s long-term future than they were a few weeks ago.
Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner move into round three, likewise Naomi Osaka, Lorenzo Musetti and Andrey Rublev
Goffin has broken back against Musetti and they’re now 4-4 in set one. On Grandstand, Rublev is giving Boyer all he can handle, forcing break points that he can’t quite convert. Oh, and Swiatek survives break point to lead Lamens 3-0, I don’t imagine this match will detain us all that long.
Also a set up are Sakkari, 6-3 against Bondar; Alexandrova, 6-2 1-1 against Wang; and Kalinskaya, 6-1 1-1 against Putitnseva. Meanwhile, Swiatek breaks Lamens for 2-0, already looking monstrous; it’ll take something significant to beat her here, but both Gauff, her potential semi-final opponent, and Sabalenka, the defending champ and no 1 seed, are capable of that.
Yesterday, the official roster for the 2025-26 season dropped for Texas men’s basketball, outlining the players fans will see take the floor on November 4 against Duke in Charlotte to start off the non-conference slate. [Sign up for Inside Texas TODAY and get the BEST Longhorns coverage!] There are eight players likely to be in […]
Four-time Tour de France winner stable in Toulon hospital
Scans showed five broken ribs and vertebrae fracture
Chris Froome has been airlifted to hospital after suffering a collapsed lung and breaking his back and five ribs during a serious crash while training in France.
The four-time Tour de France winner’s team confirmed that Froome would undergo surgery in Toulon on Thursday after the incident which took place on Wednesday. It said that the 40-year-old was now stable, and that no one else had been involved in the crash.
Super League is going to look different next season. The big news is that the division is likely to expand to 14 teams, but that’s not the only change coming for fans. A review into the sport led by Nigel Wood has suggested various new ideas, with Magic Weekend, the Challenge Cup, international fixtures, the Championship, women’s and wheelchair games all affected. Now that the report has been digested, we have a fuller picture of how the sport will shape up in 2026.
The status of contract extension talks
between the Edmonton Oilers and Connor McDavid has been headline news
throughout this summer. However, the 28-year-old center isn't the
only notable player eligible for UFA status next summer.
Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel
and Minnesota Wild left winger Kirill Kaprizov are among the noteworthy
players who could be part of next summer's UFA class.
So far, there's been little to report
regarding any extension discussions between the Golden Knights and
Eichel. Kaprizov's status has garnered more attention lately,
especially after the Wild re-signed RFA center Marco Rossi last
week, but there's no indication they're closing in on a deal.
Daily Faceoff's Anthony Di Marco was
recently asked which UFA-eligible players might hit the open market
next summer. Interestingly, he said it wasn't a certainty that
Eichel and Kaprizov would sign extensions before July 1.
Di Marco wondered how the Golden
Knights could afford another high-salaried forward after adding Mitch
Marner and his $12 million average annual value for the next eight seasons. He
speculated that the rising salary cap could send Eichel's next
contract soaring above $12.6 million annually.
PuckPedia indicates the Golden
Knights have a projected $20.375 million in cap space for 2026-27,
with 14 active roster players under contract. They could also have
another $8.8 million in cap relief if Alex Pietrangelo remains on
the long-term injured reserve, giving them more than enough to re-sign Eichel.
As for Kaprizov, Di Marco acknowledged
he's poised to become the highest-paid winger in the NHL.
Nevertheless, he wondered if Wild GM Bill Guerin was willing to do
so, pointing out that he played hardball with Rossi. While admitting
the latter situation was different, the precedent has been set. He
also thinks Kaprizov has the opportunity to significantly change the
market for wingers, which he might not turn away from.
However, the Wild are determined to
ensure the most exciting player in franchise history stays in
Minnesota. Last October, Wild owner Craig Leipold indicated his
club's plan to re-sign Kaprizov, boasting that no other team could
offer him more money or a longer term.
Meanwhile, Michael Russo of The
Athletic cited Calgary Flames center Mikael Backlund telling
reporters that he believes Rasmus Andersson's days as his teammate
are numbered.
“Yeah, he's getting traded. It's
obvious,” Backlund said during the NHL player media tour in Europe.
The Flames captain added that Andersson doesn't want this situation
to be a distraction, prompting Backlund to tell him to just go out
and play and not worry about it.
Andersson has been the subject of trade
rumors since June, when contract extension talks with the Flames
broke down. While Backlund suggested the possibility that things
could change, he seemed resigned to the fact that the 28-year-old
defenseman will be moved before the March trade deadline.
The popular sporting video game series by EA Sports, NHL 26, is set for a September 12 release for Playstation and XBOX.
Over the past week, the software developer has begun unveiling its rankings for each different playing position in the game.
Among those listed within the Top-10 at each position will be a handful of Winnipeg Jets players.
The first position ranking provided by EA Sports was defenceman Josh Morrissey, who was given a 90 overall rating, ranking him eighth among all blueliners.
The second Jets player to earn a place on the Top-10 position rankings was winger Kyle Connor, who was named the No. 4 left winger in the game.
The 28-year-old forward led all Jets players in goals (41), assists (56) and points (97) last season as he helped Winnipeg to the Presidents' Trophy as the No. 1 team following the conclusion of the regular season.
His overall rating was up one percentage point from NHL 25 to a 92 overall, ranking him in line with Artemi Panarin, Mitch Marner and William Nylander and only trailing Nikita Kucherov, Kirill Kaprizov, David Pastrnak, Mikko Rantanen, Sam Reinhart and Matthew Tkachuk on the charts among all wingers, left or right.
No Jets cracked the Top-10 right wingers list, while Winnipeg native and Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone was given an 89 overall ranking, good for 10th place.
While the Giants have struggled down the stretch this season, there has been one glaring bright spot.
Infielder Casey Schmitt has played hard-nosed baseball, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed. Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Thursday to discuss Schmitt’s recent play.
“For me, watching Casey over the past few years … he looks like he’s starting to believe he belongs,” Posey explained.
Confidence is key in the batter’s box, and the 26-year-old has come into his own. Schmitt has hit four home runs with 13 RBI this month.
“He’s a very naturally gifted baseball player,” Posey explained. “You’re certainly seeing it at the plate. Laying off some of those pitches that are down and away from him … big two-out RBI last night … we’re definitely excited about the progress he’s making.”
His play at second base also has been stellar.
“A guy who’s naturally a third baseman,” Posey continued, “he’s probably more comfortable on the left side of the infield. He looks more and more comfortable each day. We saw last night the double play he and Adames turned. That really got me excited.”
The 1-6-4-3 double play on Wednesday got a well-deserved standing ovation from Giants fans. The idea of Schmitt being the everyday second baseman is turning into a reality.
“It looks like it came more natural to him,” Posey said. He showed off his arm strength; I think he’s gonna continue to get better and better.”
The San Diego State alum will have plenty of opportunities to earn his keep looking into the future.